Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly had his Andy Reid
moment last Sunday. For the sake of the Eagles' playoff hopes and the general
good digestion of sports fans around the Delaware Valley, it would be
instructive for him to learn from his rookie mistake and not repeat it.

Kelly devised a game plan for the Minnesota Vikings that
could charitably be described as curious. A week after LeSean McCoy ran for a
franchise-record 217 yards against the Detroit Lions, Kelly chose to hand the
ball off to his best player only eight times.

Rather than instruct kicker Alex Henery to boot the ball
through the end zone on kickoffs, a job requirement for an NFL placekicker
playing in a dome, Kelly instructed Henery to squib every kickoff in an attempt
to avoid Vikings dangerous return man Cordallelle Patterson.

While Patterson was rendered a nonfactor, the Vikings
feasted on their gift of field position, puncturing an Eagles defense that
couldn't stop journeyman backup quarterback Matt Cassel in its worst game in
weeks.

Space, time and general angst prevent us from listing all of
the problems that revealed themselves in that 48-30 loss to the then-3-8-1
Vikings, a hard-luck team playing for a lame-duck coach in Leslie Frazier and
without its best player by far, running back Adrian Peterson.

Kelly this week had explanations for everything, as coaches
habitually will. The pass-heavy plan was intended to take advantage of the
Vikings' depleted secondary and not test its strong defensive line. A week
after the Eagles' special teams yielded two return touchdowns, Kelly obviously
didn't want to risk a repeat.

Fine in theory, but as noted football strategist Mike Tyson
once said, everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. Kelly has
shown the ability to adjust his game plan, a welcome relief from the increasing
stubbornness Reid displayed in his final years in Philadelphia, but if there
were any changes as the tide turned, they weren't noticeable or effective.

Even worse, frustration boiled over to stupidity. Wide receiver
DeSean Jackson, who generally has been a good citizen, reverted to his petulant
ways when he didn't make an effort on an underthrown Nick Foles ball, allowing
Vikings cornerback Shaun Prater to return the wounded-duck interception an easy
30 yards. Jackson then started yelling at an assistant coach and teammates who
dared challenge his obviously quitting on the play.

Cary Williams took an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty late
in the game, forcing defensive coordinator Billy Davis to bench his best defensive
back because he couldn't keep his cool any longer. Williams must be on his best
behavior (and play his best) tonight against a Chicago Bears offense whose best
feature is wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery.

Jackson and Williams play with their hearts on their sleeve.
We get that it takes a big dose of ego to play in the National Football League.
Coaches have that same ego and more; to reach that level takes the unshakeable
self-belief in one's ability seen only in generals, lawyers and karaoke
singers.

Chip Kelly obviously thought he had the game play to win at
Minnesota. To his credit, he's had most of the answers throughout a surprising,
rollicking 8-6 season that Eagles has fans forgetting the crumbling last
seasons of Andy Reid's tenure.

To take that next step toward an unexpected NFC East title,
Kelly must figure out a way to beat the Bears tonight – and a way to adjust
that plan if it isn't initially working.